Revised Canadian Organic Standards Released
The newly updated Canadian Organic Standards have been released, as of March 27, 2026. The revised standards are the result of a multi-year review process by representatives of the organic industry – growers, processors, retailers, consumers and more. If you produce or consume organic food – this is your standard! We want to extend our thanks to all who participated, for their efforts to protect the integrity of the movement and review and assess new innovations and tools for organic operators!
All certified operators should seek a copy of the new standards and start to become familiar with the updated requirements. Copies of the new standards are available at the following links:
• CAN/CGSB-32.310-2026 Organic Production Systems: General Principles and Management Standards
• CAN/CGSB-32.311-2026 Organic Production Systems: Permitted Substances Lists (PSL)
Implementation of the New Standards
The revised standards take effect immediately, and as such Pro-Cert will be using these standards as the basis for inspection and evaluation as we begin moving into the 2026 season. Currently certified operators have a period of 12 months from the date of publication of the standards to bring their operations into compliance with the changes. In certain cases, the standards may have allowances for a longer timeframe.
Who is affected?
The new standards are applicable to all certified operators under the Canada Organic Regime (COR). This includes applicants under the COR Aquaculture scope, while CAN/CGSB-32.312 was not revised, compliance does rely on the newly revised Permitted Substances List – CAN/CGSB-32.311.
Also affected will be operators outside of the COR scope certified to Pro-Cert’s Canada Organic Standards (COS) program, as well as input manufacturers who achieved approval under Pro-Cert’s Input Approval Program.
Next Steps
As noted above, we recommend operators collect copies of the revised standards at the links above. The Organic Federation of Canada will be hosting a series of webinars outlining the changes to the standards as follows:
• Crop Production (including crops grown in structures or containers) & Principles and Permitted Substances Lists:
o April 8, 2026 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Nf039E0PSFOxS1Ke7DDofw
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
• Livestock Production, Insect Production & Apiculture
o April 10, 2026 01:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VoPdcvxZSIGWV-yHqW02qQ
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
• Organic Composition, Organic Integrity & Permitted Substances Lists in Processing
o April 13, 2026 01:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_G2R_eMRHSJ6Z4IRiPVJMmQ
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Our team is rapidly working through the changes to the standard to be able to assist you with any questions you may have regarding these changes. We appreciate your patience as we to review and consider how these changes may affect our activities and yours.
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